I cannot believe how fast time is flying. Life is sure not as calm as I thought it would be, but as the deadlines come and go in preparation for this school inspection, my work-life balance will jiggle back to my aim of a half-day a week and occasional supply days. Over the past ten days though, I went to meet my Mum in Vienna which was wonderful, but I had to take work which was irritating, because that was not the plan! I got back late Friday and worked for the most part of Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and today. It was the sort of work I enjoy though, and I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and crossing things off the list. And now it is done, and I am so relieved. I just hope it goes well. Tomorrow is the big paperwork inspection and then the actual inspection week is in January.

Kat - I finally found those advent candle balls in Vienna! So happy!

I am in week 6 of The Artist's Way (yes, it has taken me 8 or 9 weeks to get there!). This week is all about abundance. With a beautifully serendipity-tabulous sense of timing, my in-laws transferred some money for a Christmas present. So I have been busy choosing an abundance of these:

Yay! Until now I have had the 1oz bottles and loved them. Now that they are getting low though, I find myself not painting, or being over careful. I was tempted to buy more 1oz bottles, but I remembered the lesson of abundance and accepted the gift (both from my in-laws and from the universe) and ordered 4oz bottles in a variety of good colours for mixing.

And the update on the hand-made Christmas... my lovely listening husband assures me that there is not a cable, battery or plug on any of my presents, and he is working to a theme that fits in with our values and dreams for a simpler life. I have bought two lovely presents from etsy, have 3 to make (at the moment), have arranged consumable/non-clutter presents for two other people, and am making crochet flower brooches for someone else to give as presents, not too shoddy, eh? How are you doing with yours?